When it comes to printing my brain-child, I'm the customer from hell; I always check each finished book with a fine-tooth comb. To my horror, the last time it was printed, I found a typo; I was tired and got sloppy doing my umpteenth edit. Since the paper was a creamy soft yellow and happened to be the same color as a room my husband had just painted, I fixed each error with a light hand and a teeny-tiny paint brush.
Self-publishing Soul Portrait is the only way I can have some control and still get a rest for, and from, myself. But first, I had to make the decision to expose it to the world, which has taken me a long time. What if no one likes it? What if no one uses it? What if people send horrible reviews to Amazon? What if, what if, what if? I have to keep thinking what matters most is that I love this book and think there is a big need for it in today's impersonal and frantically-busy, intimidating, health care climate.
Soul Portrait is about making aging personal; it's about sharing with family and friends who you really are, in case you cannot advocate for yourself someday. It's also a tool for use as a journal and for leaving a legacy. Have you ever wished you had known what your great grandmother was like? If she'd had a Soul Portrait, you would know why your grandfather says you are a lot like her.
To publish a book for the rest of the world to see takes courage and belief in self; it isn't something one decides lightly. After I checked my self-esteem at the door and made the decision to do it, I had to choose the publishing house best suited to my needs. I've looked at so many, along with good and bad reviews about them, that I began to see double. The two that stand out are Dog Ear Publishing and AuthorHouse; I'll keep studying them and make my choice as soon as I can. I can do this. I can let go. It's time for Soul Portrait to have a life of its own.
In the meantime, I'll be letting my 'quick blogcast' blog disappear into the land of wherever-dead-blogs-go. There will be no good-byes or mention of my new site, simply because I got too much spam. Rightly or wrongly, I figure if I do this quietly, those spammers won't follow me. Yeah, I know...dream on, Sal.
I'll send out e-mails to friends and family about the move back to Google's blogspot, the place I began blogging over two years ago. Blogspot is a lot easier for this techno-challenged writer to navigate. I thought about canning blogs altogether, but I tried that and missed the writing, so I came back with more to say.
I've also given some thought to having a website designed to celebrate the launching of Soul Portrait, but the jury is still out on that one; I have no idea what it would involve in time and/or money. The word 'marketing' makes my stomach turn, and that's a major reason for a website and going on Facebook, etc. A large part of life is about selling oneself or product; and to get people to buy, one has to play the game. I'm passionate about the purpose of Soul Portrait and how it can add to one's quality of life; of course I want people to buy it. Actively promoting it, however, will take some effort. I may have to reconsider Facebook; and since there is already a Sally McBain there, I will be Sally Z McBain. We'll see.
Now that Soul Portrait is about to experience a rebirth, I want a home for it, a place to talk about it and to welcome comments about what growing older means for you. Whether it's via this blog now, or maybe Facebook later, I hope to hear from you. In the meantime, I'll let you know my progress with the publishing. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your following me from Cronechronicles to Sojourn to Soul Portrait. I hope you will share this site with your friends. Thanks for joining me!
